Preparations for the 18th BRICS summit to be held on 12 and 13 September in the capital Delhi have now reached the final stage. The central government and security agencies are on full alert mode regarding the security of this high-profile international event in which heads of state and top leaders of many countries of the world are present. In this series, the country’s premier federal anti-terrorism commando force National Security Guard (NSG) has started a large-scale security and anti-terrorism mock drill in Delhi under its special operation ‘BRICS Kavach’.
This exercise of NSG is not just a general security exercise, but a comprehensive preparation to test the ability to deal with any possible terrorist attack, hostage crisis or sudden emergency situation during this international level event. Its purpose is to establish better coordination between different security agencies and to ensure that the response to any untoward situation is very fast and accurate.
On Tuesday, NSG conducted a simultaneous security exercise at four very important places in Delhi. These included Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Rajghat, Bharat Mandapam and Army Polo Ground. About 100 NSG commandos participated in this exercise which lasted for about two and a half hours. The exercises were conducted at different places and at different times. During this, the commandos prepared situations like terrorist attacks and rehearsed to counter them.
NSG commandos demonstrated slithering techniques from helicopters at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Rajghat. This is a very risky and special training technique, in which the commandos descend rapidly through a thick rope while the helicopter is hovering above the ground. This technique can be used in such situations where it is difficult for security forces to reach the spot through normal routes or it is necessary to land a commando team at a sensitive place in a very short time.
Security rehearsal from Rajghat to Bharat Mandapam
Rajghat is a very sensitive and important place in the national capital. Being the mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi, there is a frequent visit of national and international dignitaries here. In such brix Here also NSG tested its operational capability keeping in mind the possible VIP movement and security situations during the conference. Bharat Mandapam is the main venue where the 18th BRICS summit is to be held. Therefore, a special strategy is being prepared for its security. NSG teams also conducted mock drills inside the Bharat Mandapam and tested their response in various possible crisis situations. NSG also conducted security exercises at the Army Polo Ground. This place is also important from the point of view of VIP movement and security management.
Delhi Police’s SWAT team was also involved
Only NSG was not active in this entire exercise. Special Weapons and Tactics i.e. SWAT team of Delhi Police also participated. The SWAT team of Delhi Police is a special anti-terrorism commando unit, which was formed after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2009. Its objective is to take rapid action in case of any serious terrorist attack or armed crisis in the capital. In an international conference like BRICS, coordination between different agencies is very important. This is the reason that through mock drill it is being seen that if there is a sudden attack at any place, which agency will react first, at what stage NSG will reach and how all the agencies will work under a common operational plan.
Why is NSG the last security blanket?
NSG is one of the most elite anti-terrorism commando forces of the country. NSG is used as a special last response unit in very serious terrorist attacks, hostage crises and high-risk operations. Top leaders of many countries of the world will be present in Delhi during the BRICS conference. In such a situation, to deal with any possible terrorist threat, it is necessary to prepare such a security system in which after the normal security arrangements, the special commando force can take immediate action if needed.
The role of this ‘Final Response Unit’ was tested during the mock drill. Different agencies were trained to respond as per pre-decided roles so that there is no delay in taking decisions in times of real crisis.
Preparations from terrorist attack to hostage crisis
Under Operation ‘BRICS Kavach’, not only helicopter slithering was practiced, but situations like possible terrorist attacks, hostage crisis and rescue operations were also kept in mind. According to security officials, the aim of these exercises is to create situations like a real incident, so that the commandos and other security agencies know how to respond to a sudden crisis.
The terrorist threat at an international conference can take many forms. Situations like an attack on a sensitive location, an attempt to target a VIP, infiltration of a building or a hostage crisis require different strategies. That is why a separate operational plan is being prepared for each possible situation.
Why is helicopter slithering important?
The most attention-grabbing exercise in this NSG drill was helicopter slithering. This is a technique in which commandos descend from a helicopter to the ground with the help of a rope. The specialty of this technology is that there is no need to land the helicopter completely in any building, stadium or open area. Commandos can quickly descend from the helicopter hovering in the air and start the operation.
At an event like BRICS, if a serious security crisis suddenly arises at a location and it may take time to reach by road, a helicopter-based quick response can be important. This is the reason why special practice of this technique was done in JLN Stadium and Rajghat.
Coordination of agencies is most important in ‘BRICS Kavach’
Security officials believe that the security of any major international event cannot be the responsibility of just one agency. For this, constant coordination between Delhi Police, NSG and other central and local security agencies is necessary.
A major objective of the mock drill is to strengthen this inter-agency coordination. If any incident occurs at any place, the initial response will be from the local police and deployed security forces. After this, special forces will be activated depending on the seriousness of the situation. In such a situation, every agency should know what to do in which situation and who will have command at which level. NSG’s drill served to test this joint response system.
More mock drills this week
According to security officials, more mock exercises will be organized this week under Operation ‘BRICS Kavach’. Special strategies are being prepared keeping in mind different possible situations. The purpose of these exercises is not only to test the capability of the commandos, but also to minimize the response time in case of an actual incident. Security agencies do not want to take any kind of risk in the presence of international leaders. Therefore, the entire process from identification of potential threat to its response is being tested again and again through exercises.
Big leaders of the world will gather in Delhi on 12-13 September
India is hosting the 18th BRICS summit this year. The conference will be held on 12th and 13th September at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. It will include leaders and other invited representatives of BRICS member countries and partner countries.
The main theme of India’s BRICS chairmanship is – “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” i.e. building for resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainable development. India’s presidency is said to be based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Humanity First’ thinking and people-centric approach. Issues like political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation and cultural and people-to-people contacts between BRICS countries will be discussed in the conference. Apart from this, leaders will also share their views on issues of global and regional importance.
Government does not want any lapse in security
Due to the presence of many important world leaders in the BRICS conference, Delhi’s security arrangements will be under international scrutiny. In such a situation, the biggest challenge for the security agencies is to ensure that the security arrangements remain completely strong during the conference without affecting the normal activities. NSG’s Operation ‘BRICS Kavach’ is an important part of this comprehensive security strategy. The mock drill conducted at four important places has made it clear that the security agencies are preparing in advance for any possible challenge. Different situations are being practiced from helicopter slithering to anti-terrorism operations and hostage rescue.
That is, when the big leaders of the world will gather in Delhi for the BRICS conference on 12-13 September, then there will be not only general security around them but a security shield prepared at many levels, in which the role of NSG will be the most important last security wall.
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